Storyteller: The Authorized Biography of Roald DahlNow in paperback—Donald Sturrock’s Storyteller is “a major literary biography…packed with intimate details, sharply intelligent commentary, and surprising revelations” (The Washington Post) of one of the greatest writers in the twentieth century, whose work still delights millions around the world today. A single-minded adventurer and an eternal child who gave us the iconic Willy Wonka and Matilda Wormwood, Roald Dahl lived a life filled with incident, drama and adventure: from his harrowing experiences as an RAF fighter pilot and his work in British intelligence, to his many romances and turbulent marriage to the actress Patricia Neal, to the mental anguish caused by the death of his young daughter Olivia. In Storyteller, the first authorized biography of Dahl, Donald Sturrock—granted unprecedented access to the Dahl estate’s archives—draws on personal correspondence, journals and interviews with family members and famous friends to deliver a masterful, witty and incisive look at one of the greatest authors and eccentric characters of the modern age, whose work still delights millions around the world today. |
Contents
Lunch with Igor Stravinsky | 1 |
Shutting Out the Sun | 28 |
Foul Things and Horrid People | 64 |
Distant Faraway Lands | 93 |
A Monumental Bash on the Head | 122 |
David and Goliath | 139 |
Alive but Earthbound | 156 |
A Sort of Fairy Story | 174 |
The Master of the Macabre | 313 |
A Tornado of Troubles | 356 |
Breaking Point | 386 |
Indomitable | 413 |
The Gentle Warmth of Love | 449 |
Explosions Are Exciting | 482 |
The Wizard and the Wonderman | 518 |
No Point in Struggling | 549 |
Secrets and Lies | 205 |
The ScholarGypsy | 249 |
The Poacher | 282 |
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS | 569 |
BIBLIOGRAPHY | 625 |
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Common terms and phrases
Alfhild Alfhild Hansen Alfred Knopf Ann Watkins Armitage Watkins asked began Bob Gottlieb British called Charles Marsh child Chocolate Factory Claudia Haines Conversation Dahl's daughter described Dirk Bogarde Disney eventually eyes father felt film flying Gipsy House Going Solo gremlins Harald Ian Fleming Ibid Interview knew later Lawrence Letter to Ann Letter to Armitage Letter to Charles Letter to Roald Letter to Sheila Liccy living Logsdail London look Lucy Maria Tucci Maschler Missenden movie Murray Pollinger Neisha never Noël Coward Norwegian Olivia once Ophelia Dahl Pat's Patricia Neal pilot published Quentin Blake Rayner Unwin recalled remembered Repton Roald Dahl seemed sense Sheila St short stories sister Sofie Magdalene Stephen Roxburgh tell Tessa Dahl Theo things thought told his mother Tom Maschler took Uncle Oswald Wallace wanted weeks wife writing wrote York young